An in-depth rundown of flies and beats to fish along the Conny.
The Connetquot River is one of the freshwater fishing gems of Long Island, frequented by many in the region because of its renowned trout fishing. Open to the public since the 70s, it’s only in recent years that anglers have been allowed to fish in November, December, and January. In the past trout fishing was only allowed from February to October. Well, the new “open” time of year is upon us now, so let me cover some details on fishing the river. These will apply certainly year round, but will so more specifically to this time of year, the late fall, winter, and early spring. We’ll review flies and techniques first, and then give some suggestions about fishing certain specific “beats.” We’re so fortunate to have this fishery nearby which can yield such good, and at times stellar fishing during the cold months.
Basics
The Connetquot is a stocked body of water. Since the state is no longer stocking brown trout here it has very few trout that hold over for long periods of time, say a year or two. The introduced rainbow trout, as are hatchery rainbows nationwide, don’t assimilate into the stream for long periods of time, and have high mortality rates. Same with the brook trout, although some of the small, in stream (not hatchery) bred individuals may last much longer. Your quality of fishing may depend on how recently trout have been stocked before your visit and how many were put in at that time. The more recent the trout were put in, and the bigger the stocking, the more action you’ll most likely have. The fewer fish around, the slower it’ll be. But here’s the catch: The river is usually stocked often, and often with good, if not big numbers of trout. Even in “slow” or “low” periods there’ll always be at least some trout in the system to catch, and you’ll almost always have at least decent fishing, and at times some angling that’s absolutely phenomenal.
Outfit
A fly rod designed for from a 3 to 7 weight floating fly line that’s from 6-1/2 to 9 feet in length. Many anglers prefer shorter rods here, due to the smallness of the stream and the closeness of the bushes and environs. They feel they can negotiate fishing in close quarters better. Hardy, G Loomis, Echo, TFO, and Orvis are some good brands. For fly line I definitely go with a floating line. I like Scientific Anglers and Wulff.
Surface Flies
Gurgler: A small foam Gurgler slowly “waked” around flat water can be deadly. Another killer is a dead drifted or twitched foam Chernobyl Ant or Hopper. All three of these float very well and will be eaten even in the winter here.
There are hatches of small blue winged olive mayflies (BWOs) on warm days on the flat water during this period of the year too. Be observant for rises, and dead drift #18 or #20 BWO dries over the fish.
Nymphs, Eggs, & Wormies (Sub-Surface)
Sow Bug (Cress bug) #14, #16: Sow bugs are prevalent in the Connetquot and trout are looking for them. Dead drift one to a sighted fish or use under an indicator.
Glo Bug #14, #16: Use in orange, pink, ochre, or yellow. It copies a trout egg. In November and December after the Brook Trout spawn, the trout are looking for eggs. Simply deadly this time of year. Dead drift it to a sighted fish or present it under an indicator. Best fished very close to bottom, as is the sow bug.
Squirmy Wormy: A Connetquot favorite. Looks like a lively little worm in water just squirming around, hence its name. Sight fish with it or, again, fish under an indicator. It’s a popular and deadly pattern here.
Gold Ribbed Hares Ear and Sawyers Pheasant Tail Nymphs #12-#16:
These are two time honored favorites, not only in the Connetquot, but worldwide as well. Many trout here have succumbed to them.
ZEBRA NYMPH – Black & White & small #16, #18: Deadly everywhere including in the Connetquot. Use some lead free weight about 6 inches above the nymph – a “B” size split shot is usually good. Sight fish this rig upstream, up & across, or across stream to sighted fish. You can fish directly downstream to fish that are close and directly below you. This is especially effective when wading.
Nymphing Tactics
Make sure you have a “dead drift” in your presentation. This means that your fly is moving as though it isn’t attached to anything. Watch for the fish’s reaction. When you think the fly is close to the trout, you’ll see the fish open and close its mouth, swim over and do this, swim over and stop, move its head to the side suddenly, or turn to the side and stop. The fish has your fly in its mouth, set the hook!
If Using Indicator use big or small strike indicator. Position the indicator (between indicator and weight) a few inches longer than water is deep. Make sure indicator is drifting “drag free”. Keep the butt section of leader and fly line upstream of the indicator. Fish different “lanes” in the drift. If indicator goes under, streaks off, pops, twitches, or even hesitates, set the hook. It’s often a take. Indicators work well in faster, more broken water, in deeper water, and at a distance from you.
Streamers – Baitfish Imitations
White, black, and olive & black Wooly Buggers from #8 to #2 are very popular in the Connetquot and have caught tons of fish here. They get even better with a tungsten bead or cone at the head. In fact, any type of rabbit strip streamer with tungsten at the head can be deadly here. Just keep it near the bottom and “jig” it. A white fly is easier to see, which means you can see where it is, can keep giving it good action, can make sure it’s near the bottom, and can see when the trout grabs it. You usually can effectively fish these patterns close (often on a very short line) to you in this waterway.
My favorite streamer here is essentially a Zonker strip of rabbit on a #4 hook (fly is 3-3/4 inches long) with a double tungsten cone (usually size medium or large). I position the cones back to back so they look like an egg at the head of the fly, positioned right behind the hook eye. It’s the Rabbit Strip Jiggy, a Bob Popovics original. Like with the other head weighted streamers give this simple but deadly fly lots of excited jigging action, and hold on! I use a long tippet with these flies (4 to 6 feet) so that the pattern can get to the bottom quicker (and stay there) due to less current resistance with the thin line.
Fishing Specific Beats
16A: The beat is located directly below the hatchery. Fish area over with nymph/egg//wormy/sow bug and indicator, especially the areas to the side of the main flow. Make sure you don’t use too much weight. One B size split shot should be enough. Fish the deeper water in the main flow, with the weighted streamer. Allow that fly to get deep. Try the slow water on the far side (from the path) of the entering shoot with a Gurgler. Many big and giant trout have been caught here over the years.
16: Sight fish this spot with the nymph/egg/wormy/sow bug. Drift fly to fish. Look for fish’s reaction. At bottom of beat fish the Rabbit Strip Jiggy along bottom in deeper water.
15: In deeper water at the head and from that deeper water going to the shallower sand – about a 30 feet stretch, fish with weighted rabbit fly deep. A little ways down you can (while wading) position yourself on the opposite side (of path), across from the overhanging bushes, and fish into and under them with a weighted streamer or nymph.
12: Sight fish the shallow top three quarters of the beat with that nymph/egg/sow bug. Make sure you have a drag free float. The trout may gather right below you to feed on creatures you’ve stirred up with your wading. Feed them your fly. At bottom of beat try that deep working streamer along the bottom all over that deep stretch. Give it lots of action. A nymph works well here, too.
Beats 10 and 9: Fish all over, especially where it’s a little deeper. Nymphs, streamers and the Jiggy are all good. In all those calmer water places you can try waking and twitching a Gurgler or Chernobyl fly on the surface. You may have some blue winged olives hatching here on a warm day. Cover lots of water in these two beats.
27 (Below Hatchery): Fish the deep water at the head of the pool and water rushing downstream. Fish the Jiggy or streamer with the current, or swing it at different places in the current. Try to get that fly deep. You can also dead drift nymph/sow bug/egg/wormy throughout this stretch as well. Concentrate on the eddying and slower water here as too. Get the fly deep.
28 and 29 (Below Hatchery): Use the Jiggy and weighted streamer where you can get in and fish them deep with plenty of action. Fish nymphs, dead drifting them near bottom using an indicator. Make sure you mend to get a good drift. Effective roll casting is important here. On a warm day, even in winter, you may have a blue winged olive hatch, and you’ll see rises. Even if you see rises and don’t see the actual flies fish a #18 or smaller blue winged olive dry and you’ll take them off the surface. Also try a Gurgler or Chernobyl fly (using action or not) and see what happens.
Connetquot upper beats will definitely have fish if these areas are stocked. But even if fish are put in solely and only right above the hatchery, rainbows will have a natural tendency to swim upstream. In very cold weather this happens even more so because they’ll swim up to the warmer water, as upper beats are closer to where the stream water comes out of the ground and aquifer feeding the river. This water will be warmer than the winter chilled water below. Also, and this is significant, rainbows will be running upstream with the spawning urge and instinct in February and March, as they are spring spawners.
While this river is somewhat straightforward to get the hang of on some trips, it will always leave you humbled on others. Knowing the ins and outs of fishing it will surly give you the overall edge.
